How to Tick-Proof Your Yard: 3 Steps

Of all the pests you could have lurking in your lawn, ticks are arguably the most worrisome. Few bug bites have the potential to alter your life quite like that of a tick. The thought alone of having a parasite attached to your body, secretly feeding on your blood, is enough to send shivers down the spine. With kiddos or pups regularly playing in the yard, parents and pet parents need to be especially mindful about maintaining an outdoor space free of ticks.

Ticks are scary, we get it. But tick-proofing your yard doesn’t have to be. And we’re going to show you how to do it. Follow the three tips below to get the tick-free, bite-free lawn & garden you deserve.

Wearing family-safe tick repellents serves two primary functions: It protects against potentially dangerous bites and prevents you, your family, or pets from bringing ticks back into your lawn or home.

Before walks in tall grass, lawn work, and other outdoor explorations, apply Cedarcide Original or Tickshield to all members of the family to help keep them free of tick bites.

Moisture, wildlife, and clutter—those are the big three you have to worry about. Without water, animals to feed on, and places to hide and breed, ticks will have little interest in your lawn. Anything that adds unnecessary moisture, invites wild animals, or offers shelter needs to go. Here are the primary things you need to do:

Keep your grass and shrubbery cleanly manicured. Any overgrowth or tall grass is just asking for tick problems. Mow, weedeat, and trim shrubbery as necessary.

When doing lawn work, always bag your clippings. Keeping them in or around your yard is like setting up little tick condos. Mulch made from anything but cedarwood is equally problematic, especially when moist.

Remove clutter like woodpiles, brush, leaves, and old, unused gear and equipment. These make for excellent tick hiding spots.

DETER WILD ANIMALS

Wild animals like deer and raccoons commonly introduce ticks into our lawns & gardens. Here are some tips for keeping these tick-carriers away from your premises.

Consider rescuing a new dog best friend. Dogs and their urine are known wildlife deterrents, as canines are natural predators for many of these animals. Just make sure your dog commonly wears tick repellent or they’ll become a tick-carrier, too.

Seriously consider installing fencing, especially if your space is surrounded by a wooded area. If you already have fencing, frequently check it for damage and other openings animals could use to enter your lawn.

Replace or remove plants that commonly attract animals into your lawn, like beans, roses, corn, tulips, peas, apples and other fruit. Fencing off your garden with something like chicken wire is another effective approach.

Other plants like chives, lemon balm, lilac, holly, iris, and sage are said to help deter deer, perhaps the most infamous of tick-carrying animals. Consider installing these plants throughout your space for added protection.

Tightly seal outdoor trash cans and recycling bins, or consider storing them in your garage or storage shed, especially during the spring, summer, and fall.

It might sound like a lot but our family-safe lawn spray PCO Choice does all three. It’s also pet-safe and targets ticks in every stage of life—egg, larva, nymph, and adult.

If you’ve already spotted ticks in your lawn or garden, start by thoroughly spraying your front, side, and back yards all in one session to kill and repel ticks (don’t forget shrubbery, bushes, and small trees, too). Repeat this process again in two weeks, and then proceed to monthly PCO Choice applications after that. If you’ve yet to see a tick and you’re simply looking for prevention, move on to monthly applications right from the start. Because ticks can live all year long, even in freezing conditions, we strongly suggest sticking to monthly applications all twelve months of the year.

Because PCO Choice is plant-based and family-safe, no downtime is necessary. You, your family, and pets can enjoy your lawn right after application!